East Hartford

Jul 28, 2014 | 3:06 PM

(Courant File Photo)

East Hartford, once known as Podunk, has a Latin town motto "Carpe Diem" that means "seize the day." Much of its topography is level thanks to periodic flooding of the Connecticut River that is now contained by a 39-foot-high dike. The flat terrain proved beneficial for Frederick Rentschler who needed a flat surface to test planes. His Pratt & Whitney Co. employed nearly 40,000 at the peak of production during World War II. It remains the largest employer with a workforce of about 7,600. Coca Cola Refreshments, USA Inc. and Goodwin College on Riverside Drive are also top employers. Pratt & Whitney closed Rentschler Field Airport in 1999. It got a new life in 2003 when the state built the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field stadium and Nebraska-based Cabela's, a specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise, opened a 185,000-square-foot retail store. Earlier this year, a Michigan developer announced plans for a 350,000-square-foot outlet center, The Outlet Shoppes at Rentschler Field. The town has 13 parks, three playgrounds and an 18-hole, town-owned golf course. Wickham Park, a non-profit, private foundation whose parkland lies in both Manchester and East Hartford, has gardens, woodlands, picnic areas, ponds and sports facilities.

CharacteristicEast Hartford is a blue-collar suburb of Hartford separated from the capital city by the Connecticut River. It is the home of aircraft-engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., and of the UConn Huskies football team's home field.